BOSTON—This certainly hasn’t been a landmark stretch in the career of Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett.

An ace for much of last season (he finished 13-7 with a 2.89 ERA), Beckett was an important part of Boston’s late-season meltdown. He allowed six earned runs in each of his final two starts, getting the loss in both games. He didn’t fare much better in his first start this season, yielding five homers and seven earned runs in just 4 2/3 innings against the Detroit Tigers.

Watch This

More than that, though, Beckett has become the prime target for blame in the Red Sox’s 2011 unraveling.

Revelations that starting pitchers would spend their off days in the clubhouse eating fried chicken and drinking beer during games were seen as emblematic for what was wrong with the team. And it cost manager Terry Francona his job. While Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz copped to those allegations, Beckett never apologized.

When Beckett takes the mound today at Fenway Park in the home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, a fan base that felt cheated by last year’s underachievement is likely to let Beckett know it.

Beckett, now in his seventh season in Boston and a key part of the team’s 2007 World Series championship, knows he might not be the most popular guy in the park.

“We have to deal with whatever is thrown our way,” Beckett told reporters. “I’m going to pitch well for my teammates. If the fans don’t want me pitching, I’ve still got to pitch well for my teammates.”

While Beckett’s mental toughness will be tested Friday, Beckett’s physical state remains a question. He injured his thumb this spring and visited two specialists before determining the discomfort would not be a problem. Beckett says the thumb is not bothering him, but he seemed to struggle with both location and velocity in his first start against the Tigers.

New manager Bobby Valentine said Beckett worked with pitching coach Bob McClure in a side session on the Red Sox’s season-opening opening road trip, and that the two ironed out some of Beckett’s problems. If that is the case—if Beckett can go out and put up a solid performance for a team that is struggling at 1-5—he could begin the process of repairing his reputation among Boston fans.